Flexible band for a wrist watch



jun@ i3 1967 sH-INJIRO KOBAYASHI 3,324,614

FLEXIBLE BAND FOR A WRIST WATCH Filed Nov. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 13, w67 sHlNJlRo KOBAYASHI 3,324,648

FLEXIBLE BAND FOR A WRIST WATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 22, 1963 3,324,648 FLEXIBLE BAND FUR A WRIST WATCH Shinjiro Kobayashi, Tokyo, Japan, assigner to Merriman Co., lLtd., Tokyo, `lapan Filed Nov. 22, 1963, Ser. No. 325,626 4 Claims. (Cl. 59-79) The present invention relates to a flexible band, and more particularly to a liexible band for use with a wrist watch.

One object of the present invention is to provide a wrist Watch band having improved expansibility.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wrist Watch band which will smoothly expand and contract.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a wrist watch band which is comfortable to wear.

According to the present invention, an improved wrist watch band is provided in which tubular jointing members having a square cross section are pivoted at one end on the inner surface of the respective link members of the band for frictional movement and said square cross section tubular jointing members being actuated by springs to permit expansion and contraction of the watch band.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter referring to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a fragmentary view of a wrist watch band of the present invention in section showing the same taken along the longitudinal direction thereof;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View of the band as shown in FIG. l taken on the line X-Y;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinally sectional View of the band as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrating the same in an expanded state;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of an alternative wrist watch band of the present invention in section showing the same taken along the longitudinal direction thereof;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinally sectional View of the alternative band as shown in FIG. 4, showing the same in an expanded state;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of a further alternative wristwatch band of the present invention in section showing the same taken along the longitudinal direction thereof; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinally sectional View of the band as shown in FIG. 6 showing the same in an expanded state.

A flexible watch band which constitutes a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. l through FIG. 3 and which comprises generally a plurality of link member A and a plurality of jointing members C having a square cross section. Each jointing member is adapted to operatively joint each two adjacent link members A and houses a spring D which is adapted to allow each pair of jointed link members A to move away from and toward each other.

Each of the link members A comprises a vertical portion 1, an upper horizontal portion 2 and a lower horizontal portion 3, both of which horizontal portions extend at right angles with respect to said vertical portion ll, but in the opposite directions to each other. The upper horizontal portions 2 constitute the outer surface of a complete watch band and have rings 4 formed on the inner surface at both ends of their fore ends to which the adjacent square cross section jointing members C are pinned by pins 9.

The lower horizontal portion 3 is upwardly bent at its 70 one end at right angles with respect thereto so as to form an extension 5 against which the leaf-spring D is adapted 3,324,648 Patented .lune i3, 1967 to engage. A pair of stopper pieces 6 project outwardly of the opposite edges of the extension S.

The jointing member C is formed by a piece of metallic strip being bent so as to have a square cross sectional tubular shape and which jointing member has a ringshaped portion 7 formed at the extended end portion thereof. Said tubular member C is further provided with a through slot 8 at a position diagonal to said ring-shaped portion 7 and the spring abutment extension 5 of the lower horizontal portion 3 extends through said slot 3 into the interior of said tubular jointing member C, to engage the spring D.

The spring D is formed by a leaf spring which is the highest in the vicinity of its center and decreases its height toward both end portions.

The leaf spring D is disposed within each tubular jointing member C in such a manner that one side of said spring abuts against the spring abutment extension portion 5 and the other side thereof engages with the inner surface of one side of said jointing member C.

The ring-shaped portion 7 of the jointing member C is fitted between the ring portions 4, 4 of the link member A in alignment therewith and a Ipin 9 is inserted through said ring portions 4, 4 and ring shaped portion 7 whereby the jointing member C may be secured to the link member A for frictional movement. The spring abutment portion or extension 5 of the adjacent link member A is inserted through the slot 8 into the jointing member C and the stopper pieces projections 6 are caused to engage the end edge of the jointing member C and the projections 6 are maintained in engagement with the inner surface of the jointing member C by spring D.

When a desired number of link members A and square cross section tubular jointing members C are alternately connected to each other by the repetition of the above mentioned arrangement, a desired length of flexible watch band is formed. Since the leaf spring D presses the spring abutment extension portion 5 of the link member A against the inner surface of the tubular jointing member C, the longer sides of jointing member C, and the vertical portion 1 and abutment extension portion 5 of the link member A are all disposed parallel to one another. When all the upper horizontal portions 2 of the respective link members A are aligned in a straight line in a Contact relation, the shorter sides of the various square cross section tubular jointing member C come to contact with the inner surface of their respective adjacent upper horizontal portions 2, When the watch band is extended by pulling out the band at both ends thereof, the ring-shaped portions 7 and slots 8 of the tubular members C are pulled in the opposite directions to each other by the two adjacent link members A, and accordingly, the jointing members C are caused to frictionally move with respect to the inner surface of the link members A and assume the position as shown in FIG. 3. In this case the leaf springs D are fiattened by being pressed against the abutment extension portions 5 of the link members A. When the pulling force acting on the watch band is released therefrom, the longer sides of the jointing members C rotate to their original positions where the sides are parallel to the respective extensions 5 of the link members A whereby the link members A are drawn toward one another and as a result the shorter side of each jointing member C again comes into contact with the inner surface of the upper pieces C of the link members A so as to return the band to the position shown in FIG. 1.

Therefore, in this embodiment of the present invention, the frictional movement of the jointing members causes the link members to move away from or toward each other, and accordingly, the watch band expands and contracts. The extent of expansion and contraction in the 3 novel watch band is greater as compared with the prior are watch bands. Furthermore, such an expansion and contraction is much smoother and more comfortable for the wearer.

IExplanation will be now given on a second embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIGS 4 through 5. The watch band in this embodiment com-prises generally a plurality of outer link members A, a plurality of inner link members B, said outer and inner link members A and B operating symmetrically, and a plurality of square cross section jointing members C for jointing said inner and outer link members and imparting elasticity to a complete watch band in cooperation with springs D. The jointing members C are secured to the inner surface of the outer link members A for frictional movement. Both upright end portions of the inner link members B are inserted through the slots in the jointing members C into the jointing members and the jointing members C are adapted to be maintained in their normal upright position by the action of the springs D housed therein when the band is in its normal contra-cred position.

A further alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. In these figures the watch band is shown as comprising generally a plurality of outer link members A, a plurality of inner link members B, and a plurality of jointing members C having a cross section substantially similar to the numeral 9. Each of the jointing members C is provided with through slots a and b through which the bent portion c of the outer link member A and the bent portion d of the inner link mem-V ber B extend, respectively. Each jointing member houses leaf springs D therein for operatively engaging said bent portions c and d of the outer and inner link members A and B, respectively.

Although I have disclosed hereinabove the best forms of the invention known to me at this time, I reserve the right to all such modifications and changes as may come within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible band adapted to be employed in conjunction with a wrist watch comprising a plurality of link members each of which having an intermediate vertical portion and horizontal portions integral with and at right angles to said vertical portion in the opposite directions to each other, a plurality of tubular jointing members having a square cross section and each secured to one horizontal portion of each of said link members for frictional movement, the other horizontal portion of each link having a bent extension portion, each of said jointing members having a slot therein through which said bent extension portion of each link member extends whereby each pair of adjacent Alink members are connected with each other, and spring means disposed within the respective tubular jointing members to act so as to bias each pair of adjacent link members toward each other.

2. A iiexible band adapted to be employed in conjunction with a wrist watch comprising a plurality of outer link members, a plurality of inner link members having bent extension portions at opposite ends thereof, and a plurality of tubular jointing members for jointing said outer and inner link members and having slots through which the bent end portions of said inner link members extend, the opposite ends of said outer link members being pivoted to adjacent jointing members, and spring means disposed within the respective jointing members so as to bias each pair of adjacent outer link members toward each other.

3. A flexible band adapted to be employed in conjunction with a wrist watch comprising a plurality of outer link members having bent portions at both ends thereof, a plurality of inner link members having bent portions at both ends thereof, a plurality of tubular jointing members for jointing the adjacent outer and inner link members and having slots therein through which said bent portions of the outer and inner link members extend, respectively, and spring means disposed within said jointing members adapted to abut against said bent portions of the outer and inner link members within said jointing members to bias each pair of adjacent outer and inner link members toward each other.

4. A ilexible band comprising a plurality of expansible joints and means for interconnecting said expansible joints, each of said expansible joints including a jointing member, at least a portion of which has a U-shaped configuration composed of a base element and two parallel leg elements, said jointing member provided with a slot at the joint between said base element and one of said leg elements, said slot extending through both said elements proximate to the joint thereof,

a link member, at least a portion of which has an L-shaped configuration, the inner side of one leg of said link member overlying the outer side of said base element of said jointing member, the other leg of said link member extending th-rough said slot with the outer side thereof normally in engagement with the inner side of said one of said jointing member leg elements,

and spring means acting between the inner side of the other of said jointing member leg elements and the inner side of said other leg of said link member for biasing said link member into normal engagement with said jointing member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,840,982 7/1958 Stiegele 59-79.5 2,957,303 10/1960 Sasaki 59-79.5 3,036,425 5/1962 Knoop 59-79.5 3,102,401 9/1963 Benaglio 59-79 FOREIGN PATENTS 589,726 12/ 1959 Canada.

CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

G. P. CROSBY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FLEXIBLE BAND ADAPTED TO BE EMPLOYED IN CONJUNCTION WITH A WRIST WATCH COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF LINK MEMBERS EACH OF WHICH HAVING AN INTERMEDIATE VERTICAL PORTION AND HORIZONTAL PORTIONS INTEGRAL WITH AND AT RIGHT ANGLES TO VERTICAL PORTION IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TO EACH OTHER, A PLURALITY OF TUBULAR JOINTING MEMBERS HAVING A SQUARE CROSS SECTION AND EACH SECURED TO ONE HORIZONTAL PORTION OF EACH OF SAID LINK MEMBERS FOR FRICTIONAL MOVEMENT, THE OTHER HORIZONTAL PORTION OF EACH LINK HAVING A BENT EXTENSION PORTION, EACH OF SAID JOINTING MEMBERS HAVING A SLOT THEREIN THROUGH WHICH SAID BENT EXTENSION PORTION OF EACH LINK MEMBER EXTENDS WHEREBY EACH PAIR OF ADJACENT LINK MEMBERS ARE CONNECTED WITH EACH OTHER, AND SPRING MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN THE RESPECTIVE TUBULAR JOINTING MEMBERS TO ACT SO AS TO BIAS EACH PAIR OF ADJACENT LINK MEMBERS TOWARD EACH OTHER. 